Chapter 13

“Demon! Madman! Let’s see… see when you’ll meet your retribution…” The man glared venomously at Xie Zhaixing.

Xie Zhaixing ignored him entirely, turning instead to Xiao Xihe. “Are you hurt?”

Xiao Xihe instinctively clutched her bleeding arm. “N-no.”

“You’re heartless, you’ll die a horrible death…”

The man continued cursing. Xiao Xihe swallowed nervously as Xie Zhaixing smirked and turned back to him. “What did you say?”

The man’s hatred burned fiercely. “I said—ah!”

A scream tore through the air, making Xiao Xihe flinch violently.

If the swift, precise counterattack earlier had left her stunned and tense, what followed was something she couldn’t bear to witness—

Xie Zhaixing yanked the sword embedded in the man’s palm free and dragged it upward along his Meridians inch by inch. Wherever the blade passed, flesh tore open, exposing ravaged Meridians, blood soaking the fallen leaves beneath.

At first, the man kept cursing—Xie Zhaixing, then her—but gradually, his insults turned to pleas, then whimpers. His weakening voice broke in the wind like a lingering ghost’s wail.

By the time the third Meridian was severed, even his cries ceased. He lay there like a dying fish, eyes wide and silent. Xie Zhaixing’s face was splattered with blood, his grin that of a demon escaped from hell, relishing his handiwork. Just as he prepared to continue, a strained voice spoke from behind him. “Maybe… just give him a quick end…”

Xie Zhaixing’s gaze flickered. He studied the man for a moment before driving the sword through his heart. Two feeble twitches, and the man went still.

The forest fell utterly silent.

Xie Zhaixing tossed the sword aside, casting a disdainful glance at the grotesque corpse before strolling toward Xiao Xihe. Blood still streaked his face, the crimson stark against his ink-dark brows and sharp features. Though the intruders were dead, the killing intent around him hadn’t dissipated—smoldering yet icy.

He stopped a step away from her, eyes lingering where she clutched her arm. After a pause, he scoffed. “This isn’t injured?”

Xiao Xihe followed his gaze and saw blood seeping through her fingers beneath the torn sleeve. She forced a weak smile. “Just a scratch. Doesn’t hurt.”

“Someone so afraid of death claims it doesn’t hurt? Did these fools scare you witless?” A faint amusement flashed in Xie Zhaixing’s eyes as he reached for her wrist.

Xiao Xihe hadn’t expected the sudden movement and jerked back instinctively.

The moment she did, she knew it was a mistake. Lifting her head, she met Xie Zhaixing’s expressionless face.

His hand still hung midair, all traces of humor gone. “You’re afraid of me.”

Xiao Xihe wanted to deny it, but his cold, ruthless stare stole her voice.

Storm clouds gathered in Xie Zhaixing’s gaze. Sensing his shift, Xiao Xihe’s breath hitched. Just as she fought the urge to retreat further, he spoke, his tone deceptively light. “Take another step back, and I’ll chop off your feet.”

He sounded like he was joking, but Xiao Xihe knew he meant every word. She froze in place.

She obeyed, but Xie Zhaixing grew increasingly irritable, especially when he saw the fear in her eyes, his aura turning even colder.  

Xiao Xihe knew she should try to placate him, but when she opened her mouth, no words came out. Just as she was hesitating, a clamor suddenly erupted nearby. Startled, she turned and vaguely recognized the Outer Sect Elder from the Kunlun Sect, who had visited before, leading a group toward them.  

Panicked, she quickly picked up the discarded Invisibility Cloak from the ground and clumsily draped it over herself. By the time she had it on, the Outer Sect Elder had already arrived, glaring coldly at Xie Zhaixing. “Xie Zhaixing, care to explain?!”  

Xie Zhaixing’s gaze was icy. “Get lost.”  

“You—”  

“So many people easily bypass Kunlun’s defenses, and you just *happen* to arrive at the right time,” Xie Zhaixing’s eyes darkened with hostility. “Who really needs to explain?”  

The Elder’s eyes bulged. “Are you suggesting I deliberately let them in to harm you?”  

Xie Zhaixing had no patience for words. He kicked up a longsword from the ground and sent it flying with a palm strike—the blade pierced straight through the Elder’s stomach. The Elder’s face twisted in shock, never expecting Xie Zhaixing to attack outright.  

“Elder—”  

“Elder Xiu!”  

The group consisted of Outer Sect disciples, hardly formidable to begin with. Seeing their Elder wounded, they panicked completely, losing any will to fight. A few disciples who had previously provoked Xie Zhaixing were among them, now trembling with belated fear at his skill.  

“Take him out of Shady Valley now, and with his cultivation, he might still survive,” Xie Zhaixing said indifferently. “Go tell your Sect Leader—if he doesn’t want the Demon Realm’s hundred thousand Demon Soldiers to drown Kunlun in blood, he’d better keep his people in line.”  

The Outer Sect disciples didn’t dare retort, hastily carrying the Elder away.  

The group had come and gone in a rush, like some absurd farce. Xiao Xihe relaxed slightly, struggling out of the ill-fitting cloak before looking pleadingly at Xie Zhaixing. “Demon Lord…”  

Xie Zhaixing’s gaze was frigid.  

Xiao Xihe shut her mouth.  

Without a word, Xie Zhaixing turned and left.  

Xiao Xihe wanted to follow, but in her distraction, she nearly tripped over a mutilated corpse. She shuddered, and by the time she looked up again, he was already gone.  

…Fine, she’d give him some space. Approaching now would only annoy him further.  

She stole another glance at the corpse, suppressing the urge to vomit before bolting away. Only after washing her face by the stream did she feel slightly better.  

By noon, she had prepared a lavish spread, but Xie Zhaixing never came.  

She sat blankly at the small table, lost in thought until evening. Then, she packed the cold dishes into her Cosmos Sack and cooked another full meal.  

Still, Xie Zhaixing didn’t appear. She waited and waited, until deep into the night, before hesitantly heading toward his dwelling, taking a detour to avoid the corpses.  

Arriving at the small clearing, she peeked around the tent built over a grave mound. “Demon Lord?”  

No answer, but she knew he was inside.  

The fact that he was still willing to sleep in the tent she’d made eased her tension slightly, and she straightened her back. “I made Crystalized Sweet Potato and Lotus Leaf Chicken. Would you like some?”  

Still, silence.  

“…If you’d prefer something else, just tell me. I’ll make anything you want.” She cautiously stepped closer.  

Just as she neared the tent, a low, gloomy voice came from within. “Get lost.”

Xiao Xihe halted in her tracks, not daring to take another step forward.  

The forest was eerily silent, the cold moonlight casting a pale glow over a small patch of land.  

After standing still for a long while, she finally spoke in a stiff voice, “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to be afraid of you. It’s just… I’ve never seen anything like that before in my life…”  

The excuse might have held some weight if she’d said it right away, but now it just sounded like a weak attempt at smoothing things over.  

“Demon Lord, I didn’t do it on purpose. I just… lost control back then. You were… you were really scary at that moment,” Xiao Xihe added awkwardly, but the person inside the tent wasn’t having any of it—he didn’t even bother to respond.  

Completely at a loss, she stood outside the tent for a long time, feeling the biting cold seep into her bones—both physically and emotionally.  

…Cold? Xiao Xihe froze for a moment before looking up at the large, round moon, suddenly realizing—today was the Mid-Autumn Festival.  

Mid-Autumn Festival…  

After staring at the tent for a few more seconds, she couldn’t resist stepping inside.  

Inside, Xie Zhaixing’s complexion was tinged with blue, his brows furrowed as he leaned against the bedside. A thin layer of frost had already formed over his body, even dusting his eyelashes with icy crystals.  

The moment Xiao Xihe entered, she was hit with a piercing chill. After a brief pause, she hurried forward. “Demon Lord, are you alright?”  

When a person was freezing to the extreme, even the slightest touch brought excruciating pain. Xie Zhaixing abruptly lifted his gaze, his eyes colder than the frost itself. “Get out.”  

“…Why is it so severe this time?” Xiao Xihe grasped his hand, and the frost on his fingers gradually melted away.  

Xie Zhaixing’s expression remained icy as he tried to pull his hand back, but Xiao Xihe tightened her grip the moment she sensed his intention. “If you want to be angry, at least wait until you survive tonight.”  

“I don’t need your help—” Xie Zhaixing’s breath came out in visible puffs of freezing mist.  

Without hesitation, Xiao Xihe wrapped her arms around him. “There’s only the two of us here. If I don’t take care of you, who will?”  

Xie Zhaixing frowned and raised a hand to push her away, but Xiao Xihe clung tighter, sniffling softly as she murmured, “Demon Lord…”  

Her voice trembled slightly, as if she were terribly wronged—or on the verge of tears. Xie Zhaixing stiffened, but in the end, he didn’t push her away again.  

Feeling his resistance fade, Xiao Xihe finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. Wrapping herself around him like an octopus, she couldn’t help but think—*He’s so cold, it’s making my voice shake.*  

She had been in Shady Valley for over a year now, and this was Xie Zhaixing’s third episode—but by far the worst. The frost was thicker than ever, and even after she embraced him, it didn’t fully recede. Xie Zhaixing showed no signs of warming up.  

Faced with this situation for the first time, Xiao Xihe’s heart pounded nervously. “Demon Lord, are you feeling any better?”  

Xie Zhaixing didn’t answer.  

She tilted her head up and saw his brows still tightly knitted, his lips now coated in a layer of white frost.  

“Demon Lord, there.” Xiao Xihe lifted her chin slightly.  

Xie Zhaixing looked at her. “What?”  

She pursed her lips meaningfully.  

His frown deepened.  

Sighing, Xiao Xihe reached out and pressed a finger against his lips—instantly dissolving the frost. A wave of relief washed over her.  

Xie Zhaixing stared at her intently before suddenly parting his lips and biting down on her finger.  

Xiao Xihe: “…”  

She tried to pull away, but he only bit harder. With no other choice, she spoke helplessly, “Demon Lord.”  

Xie Zhaixing gazed at her lazily before finally releasing her.

Xiao Xihe looked at the shallow bite mark on her finger, shot him a resentful glance, then nestled back into his embrace.

As the night deepened and the cold dew grew heavier, the two of them grew increasingly chilled.

She didn’t know if Xie Zhaixing would freeze to death if this continued, but she certainly wouldn’t survive. Realizing this, Xiao Xihe shivered and lifted her head again: “Demon Lord, this won’t do. We need to try something else.”

Xie Zhaixing barely managed to open his eyes and lazily looked at her.

Xiao Xihe swallowed hard: “How about… we take off all our clothes?” Skin-to-skin contact would probably work better than layers of fabric.

Xie Zhaixing instantly snapped awake.